Geron Kees

Another great review! Thank you!

Well, now, it's always nice to hear from you, Ivor! My favorite stories are always about people finding out how well they can get along together, and have fun together. Yeah, I know the world is not all sunshine and roses. But since I can pick and choose the parts of the world I feel like portraying, I tend to pick the ones that make me smile, too. I've have a friend that has run a...um, collector's store for thirty years now. He is every bit as interesting and storied as any fiction tale, and i borrowed a little of the flavor of his shop for this story. So I am not that far off track from reality, after all. Thanks again for saying hi to me and my people (characters). They seem to like you as much as I do!

The story is set in Ohio. The truck is French, yes, and in the first story it was mentioned that that Chris's father dealt in used vehicles and bought large lots of them, one of which included the Renault. It was a 1984 model. The story takes place more or less at the current time, so the truck was over thirty years old. Just the kind of thing a 17 year-old could fall in love with (well, among other things... ). The suspension specs were not included in the research I did on the truck. Sorry about that! It takes a little bit of time to write one of these. If I didn't have a business, family, friends, and a life, i could probably crank one out every three days. But at the present time I like the way things are, so it will take longer. And there are always other tales that fall between. Great to hear from you again!

I do intend that there be at least one more story in this series, because i have definite ideas on the flying saucer! I am also a thrift shop aficionado, and have added a lot of cool stuff to my house over the years from these sources (no matter that a certain loved one of mine feels that some of these items are less than treasure) I am currently looking for a small white elephant with a big smile on its face and the ability to squirt water into the air from its trunk. I have found three so far, but all of them are way too large. One that was almost the right size and could be repainted white had an expression on its face like it had eaten something foul. Nothing could be done about that, as its in the casting. The hunt goes on! Thanks for yet another kind word.

This story is a sequel to Thrift Shop Nation, by the same author. You really should read that one first. ----- Steve Henson couldn't help grinning as he walked a small circle around the plump little statue. Nearby, his boyfriend, Chris Horne, stood beside the owner of the house, a Mrs. Karticker, and made every attempt to look serious as the woman glared at the lifelike creature spewing water into the air of the little garden. "This was one of my husband's ideas," sh

Steve and Chris, who met and became close in Thrift Shop Nation, return in another tale. Working at the thrift shop has proved to be both interesting and rewarding for the boys. The summer is nearing its end, but both want the job to go on. They have been discovering that the thrift shop is more than just a job, and that Debbi is more than just a boss. And that life among the world of 'previously owned' items is a long way from being dull...

Woof! I could feel the wind up, the pitch, and the crack of the bat all in one moment in that chapter. I have to admit to wondering what the heck Ben is doing to himself by persisting in this volatile situation. Katy has the potential to be a life-destroyer, no question, but she is actually likely to prove to be inconsequential to the life of someone like Ben. Public figures have stories told about them all over the place, all the time, and a lot of them actually titillate their audience - make them even more interested. Many public figures - especially entertainers - thrive at the center of controversies of all sorts. I would think that Ben would know that and not take Katy's juvenile threats to heart. Travis, on the other hand, is playing a more serious game - if it is a game. That's the cool part of this story thus far, and the one that keeps me guessing. You telegraph very little of your intent, which has made this story unusually interesting thus far. I realize I am behind everyone else in chapter count, but also that that means nothing to my enjoyment of the events unfolding. I'm used to being behind! Be back, as soon as time permits. Have to really. You've snared me in the net, and now I have to jump about and see if I can get myself free. That usually only happens by reading to the end.

Sniff...um...sniff...gee, I love a happy ending. Sniff. Quite an amazing, and very satisfying journey, Parker, Very, very enjoyable story. I have always enjoyed tales of those that are somehow unloved, and their quest to find it. That Scott was so ultimately deserving of that love made it so much sweeter. There were some not-very-nice people in this story, but they were by far outshone by the the ones that were. It was a joy to watch Scott make the move from one camp to the other. I have to say that I am sorry it is over. That's the hallmark of any good story, though - that we wish it would go on. I once read of a very interesting idea, proposed by an actually well-respected thinker in the realm of quantum realities, that all the things we imagine are simply glimpses of some other universe past, present, or in the making. I won't say I believe that theory, but in respect to your story, it makes me smile. Because, were that to be the case, then this tale is not really over. The marriage proposal finale has made a promise that, in some alternate somewhere, or in some other slice of time, it will go on.

I think you have exactly what is needed to write this type of story - a little bit of an evil streak. I was at first a little unbelieving that Scott could have so easily forgotten the presence of Kenny at the boat, but I suppose being grilled by the cops would be a little wearying and perhaps it could happen. And Scott has been living an easier life for some time now, and his old survival instincts have softened a bit. I have a tendency to think ahead while reading, and I was supposing that the cops might nail Kenny when he showed up at Graham's apartment door, especially as you had Kenny screaming his guilt at the murders of Scott's old roomie and the Russian. Having Ellie do the dirty work with a spear gun was such a well-deserved return to Kenny's shark-like appetites that I laughed out loud when I read it. I think you should give up your life as a secret agent and take up writing full time. You seem to have some knack for it!

Interesting byte of alternative reality. You certainly left a lot for us to imagine. And wonder about, too. Very nicely done!

Nice change for you, Ivor. A step in a different direction and a different point of view. Just shows you are flexing that writing muscle a little. Sadly, the ending is quite true. Our animal companions do not live as long as we do. Usually, that just means that we know several during the course of our lives, each memorable and unique. Like stories, huh? They stay with us long after the first meeting is done.

Interesting turn of events. A second male-male pairing - well, a third, if you count the two boys who haven't quite grown into it yet. The earth mother must be quite the lady! If there really were such a deity, or such a source of wisdom and energy, it seems very likely to me that practicality and purpose would far outweigh the stupidities of human social conventions. I love the fact that two people of any background or gender can suddenly find themselves paired. As an author interpreting a broader way of thinking, I feel you've done a great job in laying down the fairly simple ideas by which shifters live, and deal with each other - and humans. I therefore vote that we all renounce our human natures and become shifters, and the last wolf into the pool is a rotten egg!

Very nice to see these earth mates finally getting together. It's fun to imagine what it must be like to have such a perfect mate that you just know on sight that that is the one. Or even from a distance, inside your head, and then, inside your heart. Most of us kind of feel that about someone at one time or another, but sometimes it takes time to know for sure that you are with the one you were meant to spend a life with. I saw when I came today that this story now reads as complete in just a few more chapters. I have to say, I was looking forward to about fifty more chapters. At least. All I can assume is that there will be a continuation at some point, because there is still enormous potential for storytelling here. I'll just hope...okay?

Didn't I just see you over at the...never mind. Nice to see you again! I have been called on the carpet more than once for my 'feel good' stories. "Life's not really so nice!" one guy said. Well, maybe not for him. I guess he shouldn't read my stories if they lack the angst he needs to thrive. Some people cannot abide a happy ending. Glad you could. I'm also glad you liked Debbi. She will return in the next installment, coming soon to a theater near you. Thanks for taking the time to say hello.

I did know a Ronnie, although I don't know if I've ever quite been one. With some people, you simply have to be the one to act first, or wind up continuing to pay a small game that never ends. Offering a kiss has always been one of the best ways that a human being can learn where he stands with another. Offer one and get whacked, you know. Offer one, and get it returned, and you know. I'd like to meet the person that invented the kiss (someone had to be first!), and give 'em one of my own. A kiss is the original bouquet of flowers. Pretty hard to give one to someone you love, and not get a smile in return.

Dragnet was rerun ad nauseum, and can still be found on some cable channels today. I saw the second incarnation, with Jack Webb and Harry Morgan in color. It was a staple rerun on a local channel when I was ten or eleven, in the late seventies. I was a teener before i realized that the show was pure hokum. a paean to what everyone would like to think cops are like. Good to see you here. Like to see more denizens of Oz in this part of the world. You can thank me for pointing you back to this site at a later date!

Thank you. More people seem to read these stories than bother to comment on them. I'm okay with that. These numbers are just kind of an extra thing. I do without them on other sites, and they don't do much for me here. It's fun to see them, though, and thanks for taking the trouble.

Hi again. I do plan to have a third installment in The Road series. Just have to get the time to write it. I'm happy you've enjoyed the stories. I have another one coming here before too long - the sequel to Thrift Shop Nation. Hope you like that one, too.

Ohhhhhh...I see. I wondered how you happened along all of a sudden like you did. I get it. Well, thanks for making the trip over. There's a lot of good stuff here. Don't forget to look around, okay?

I love Christmas, too. It's probably the elves. Always showing up, offering to ride me through time, make all my wishes come true, and other fun things. Who wouldn't like that???

No, thank you. I always feel like it's a compliment when someone says a story feels like life to them. Can't do better than that!

Thanks again. You must have done quite a bit of reading when you were here. I am flattered, certainly!

Well...thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I hope you keep reading them forever!

Well, there you go. I wasn't so sneaky as I thought I was being by making Kevin's dad the site owner! The idea is a little fantastic, but I seldom write things that are totally realistic, finding that a little fantasy goes a long way in life. Standing in the glaring lights of the world can be a little daunting. Sometimes it's fun to put on that mask and see how many people can recognize you behind it. Thanks for the nice comment.

Yep, this is getting interesting all over again. This is a dysfunctional family, but on a functional level. Sort of. Ben...he needs a little more backbone. Yeah, he's basically a nice guy, but catering to someone like Katy is only going to bring him some grief. She's a life destroyer, that one. Travis's mom is a little oblivious. She seems to have retreated from family life into her own little world. That she seems satisfied with that tends to make me think she depended heavily on her husband for even her attitudes when he was around, and now just doesn't quite know how to act on her own. The older brother is a putz. Lots of people live with disappointment without taking it out on everyone else. Nothing worse than a control freak who is out of control of himself. Temper, temper! Well, you're drawing a pretty good sized picture here. I'm trying to take it all in. Kind of like real life!